Every day, RSPCA NSW goes to great lengths for the most vulnerable and anxious animals, thanks to generous animal lovers like you. One of the best examples of this is our behaviour and rehabilitation centre ‘BARC’ which has been open since October 2021. It’s a quiet and peaceful oasis, closed to the public, where dogs and cats in need of more intensive behaviour support can come to learn vital life skills.  

But the costs are significant just to keep up with our daily expenses caring for animals across all of our shelters—especially at a specialist facility like BARC, where each animal can work with a team of highly skilled animal behavioural and rehabilitation trainers.  

And just like our other shelters,?animals are spending longer under our roof at BARC than ever before. Fewer people want to adopt pets when the cost of living is so high—while our cost to care for abused and neglected animals continues to rise.  

Across our shelters, it costs around $1,000 to care for just one adult dog during their stay with us. And at BARC, where animals receive expert behaviour support, the cost is even more—around $1,600 for each adult dog’s average stay in our care. 

A place like BARC is crucial to have for the animals experiencing the most significant behaviour challenges, who might not cope well with the noise and busyness of a regular shelter environment. It allows us to create a ‘real life’ environment that reflects what living in a home might look like for animals. We can work with animals to prepare them for the world and build the confidence they need to thrive in a stable home and live a happy life with their new family.  

But we’re struggling to keep up with rising costs and longer stays across all our locations. Animals who have been through the worst need your compassion now.